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Goodbye, Sweet Jackson

Today is a sad day for our family. My mom woke up this morning to find that one of our dachshunds, Jackson "Jack Jack", had passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. He was just shy of 5.5 years old and was one of the sweetest dogs you'll ever meet. In fact, he was so sweet that he was called Precious more often than he was called Jackson. We always told him he was "the sweetest one" of the bunch, and he was. All he ever wanted to do was snuggle. He'd climb into your lap and lay his head down on your chest just like a baby because he loved being close to you. He always took care of his brothers, Barney and Parker, making sure that their ears and faces were always clean. He had the appetite of a dog 4 times his little size and always tried to keep us with his brothers even though he was always a few steps behind. He was a precious soul.

To us, our dogs are family. So to lose one of them is so incredibly hard.

Jackson (on the right) with his brother, Parker, when they were puppies.

They loved the warmth and hum of the printer when they were little :)

Parker and Jackson

Always snuggling...

Sleeping on the couch with Jon

Playing tug-of-war with Barney

Sweet Jackson

September 11, 2005 -- January 21, 2011

A friend of mine said this after her dog's passing "I had no clue what all he would teach me...Looking back he taught me to always be happy to see those you love, approach each day and each new experience with enthusiasm, never underestimate the power of praise, play every chance you get, don't be afraid to show your joy, when you are happy - show it, wiggle and wag, take lots of naps and always stretch and yawn before you get up, never turn down a car ride with someone you love, be loyal, don't hold a grudge, when someone is having a bad day - nuzzle him gently, sleep in any position you find comfortable, protect and defend those you love, what you look like doesn't matter - it's what is in your heart and most importantly enjoy every day to its fullest - even if you are sick, in pain, or blind."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Jack Jack definitely taught us all of that, and we will miss him dearly.

Gunner's daddy's "going home" outfit greeted guests at the sign in table, along with a framed "Southern gentleman in the making" print.

A variety of centerpieces graced the tables with groupings of baby mementos, flowers and photos.

An antique baby basket helped house the gifts.
The drink menu consisted of milk, apple juice (one of Lauren's cravings), fruit-infused water and coffee.
The menu was made of a variety of brunch goodies including fruit, doughnuts, muffins, shrimp and grits, breakfast casserole and a waffle bar.
And of course no shower is complete without a little something sweet. These b…

Auden turned one on November 11th and we celebrated at our home with close family and friends. The theme of the party was pumpkins and pearls. Pun'kin is one of the nicknames I called her when she was little and pearls bring a girly flair and tied into our reveal party when we found out we were having a girl so it seemed perfect.

I had so much fun creating her invitation and all of the party printables. And for a little extra adornment, the invites were tied with jute twine and placed in scalloped envelope. Invites available for purchase here.

Here's the sweet birthday girl in her homemade hat. I love how the bow on top turned out :) Her birthday stats poster is now available here.

The smash cake table with our go-to milk jars (Starbuck frappuccino glasses) with paper straws. The tree slab plate they are sitting on was also used at our wedding. The smash cake was a $10 cake from Public and Auden LOVED …

Over two months later, I'm finally getting around to posting on my nephew Cohen's first birthday! Because he was born just six days before Christmas, it was important to my sister, Meredith, to have a party to make him feel special, separate of the normal seasonal celebrations. And I'm always up for a planning a good party!

Since Cohen was little baby, he has loved giraffes. First introduced with the paper mache bust hanging over the changing pad in his nursery(here), my sister says he's been a fan ever since. Using that as the inspiration, the party planning began. Meredith found an invitation she liked at Tiny Prints and thus the color palette of green, yellow and brown was established.

Cohen wore a monogrammed yellow chevron coverall on the big day, and the cheerful pattern was also used throughout the party. To create a prominent backdrop on the fireplace mantel, we covered a remant piece of beadboard with chevron fabric. It made a big statement with little…